BML17 Keynotes Speaker
The lovely people at Fantastic Services, who I am a brand ambassador for, are kindly sponsoring me for the Brit Mums Live blogging conference this weekend. I have been very excited about going for months, and am really looking forward to catching up with lots of bloggers who I only see once in a blue moon. Then something pretty amazing happened last week. I was asked to be one of five keynotes speakers– as I was nominated to read my Open Letter to the Mum of a High Functioning Autistic Child. I wrote this post almost two years ago when I was at my wits end, and it is still one of the most visited posts on my blog. To say I’m nervous would be a monumental understatement, but I’m also kind of looking forward to it. Wish me luck!

Hubby’s time off/Staycation
Every year since Polly came along, hubby has taken a week off work and we’ve had a staycation. It’s been during these weeks that we’ve made some of our most cherished memories. The girls had spent a few days at their grandparents, which was fab all round, and Freddy really benefited from having some one on one time. Then we had three days last week, and had a lovely time. Going to the Science Museum and Natural History Museum on a Monday was a real treat, as it was so much less busy than usual. Hubby took Clara off to a climbing wall on the Tuesday which she absolutely loved. Then we all went to Battersea Park and swimming on the Wednesday. Perfect use of the time off.

Polly’s breakthrough After a really tricky morning on Thursday, on the back of all the excitement from the week, Polly was struggling. She couldn’t keep her emotions in check, refused to do her learning, and was very disruptive to the younger two. Then out of nowhere she went off upstairs and wrote us all letters apologising for upsetting us. Huge breakthrough, and comforting to know that we are making progress in this area.

Clara riding a bike without stabilisers
About three months ago we took the stabilisers off Clara’s bike thinking that she was ready. After five minutes of wobbling however, she declared that she wasn’t interested and hated riding her bike. At five, Clara is and always has been the most wilful of my three kids. Once she decides something that’s it, there is no changing her mind. So you can imagine my surprise last week, when I casually suggested we try again for a bike ride and she was not only enthusiastic, but pretty much rode off first time. Amazing! There is no stopping her now, and she is a pure joy to watch. She had plenty of goes on Freddy’s balance bike over the summer which really helped.

Freddy’s balance biking and sleep
Freddy is getting brilliant on his balance bike, and more often than not we’re leaving the stroller at home. This is quite a big deal for me, as Freddy is my third and final child. I’d be lying if I said his overall sleep has massively improved, because it’s still ridiculous most nights. BUT, I am managing to get him to go to sleep in his own bed a couple of times a week now. Even if he falls asleep in mine and hubby’s bed, he does spend at least a few hours in his bed every night. Slowly but surely my baby is becoming less so, and I live in hope that his sleep will get better very soon.

Winning at Instagram
I have even more of a love/hate relationship with Instagram than I do with Facebook, and that’s saying something. However, I’m doing much better at it these days, both with balance and engagement. Woohoo!

Amid silly amounts of sleep deprivation, out of control bedtimes and hubby not being home more than he was, an impressive list of awesome also occurred this week. Thought it would be nice to share a few of the ups from our rollercoaster of a life…

Book edits

The biggest news is that I’ve finished the edits for my novel, and am happy to start submitting the fifth draft of Picking up the Pieces to would-be agents. Although it’s a daunting prospect, it’s also an exciting one. Getting this task done has been no mean feat considering that three months ago I’d lost all faith in the book and my writing abilities. Once I put my mind to something, and fully commit to it though, I’m a force to be reckoned with. It’s great to feel proud of something that I’ve achieved, now I need to keep this momentum going and not get too disheartened by the inevitable rejections.

Back to learning

Even though they were all enjoying their Smartick lessons, I’ve really struggled to get the kids to do them throughout the summer. Polly felt it was unfair to have to work when her friends were playing all day, which is of course a valid point. However, I don’t think that 15 minutes maths each day is too much to ask during the holidays. I was really pleased that she did her lessons every day this week, and watching Polly meant that Clara and Freddy wanted to do their lessons too. We’ll continue doing this for two more weeks, then start our learning schedule after that. I’m excited about getting back into our routine, we’ll all be desperate for it by then.

Winning at GAPS

I’ve been back on the GAPS Intro Diet for three weeks now, and am feeling good for it. You can read more about my current journey over on my other blog. I’ve been loving getting back into shopping at farmers markets, and making loads of stock and fermented veggies. Here’s a photo of a delicious plate of ceviche I made, I cannot tell you how good it was. You know you’re in for a treat when you buy fish on a Sunday that was caught on the Friday.

Caring for a sick pigeon

Yesterday morning we discovered an injured pigeon in our garden. It looked like it had been attacked, was unable to fly and could barely move. The children worked beautifully together as a team to take care of it, then we took it to a pigeon rescue centre. It’s run by volunteers, and I’m glad to have found it in case we need to use it again in the future.

Jumping on a giant trampoline bed

It’s not often you get to bounce on a giant trampoline disguised as a bed outside an iconic London train station. When Virgin Media invited us to do so, while we’re promoting their new Kids TV channel and app, we jumped at the chance. My three relished their time on the bed, and were all smiles throughout. It’s just a shame this isn’t an every day occurrence! You can read more about that here.

Hi, I’m Reneé, Welcome to my blog

I'm a wife and mama of three navigating my way through motherhood, the autism spectrum and home education, whilst trying to remain sane and always authentic. I'm also a real food enthusiast, wannabee chef and published author. Check out my memoir/self-help book Become the Best You. Stay tuned for updates on my current novel Picking up the Pieces.